Telephone-switchboard.



No.A 730.237.l l PATENTED- JUNE 9, 1903.

Wi B. MGGQRMIGK. TELEPHONE SWITCHBOARU y, AIELIUATIQI FILED JAI. 2, 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented J une 9, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.-

WILLIAM E. MCCORMICK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASASIGNOKR;` TO INTER- NATIONAL TELEPHONE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OFMCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.l Y

srncrmcnrroiv forming part pf Leners Patent No. 730,287, aat-d June e, loos. Application filed January 2, 1902. Serial No. 88,093.. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. MCCOR- MICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Switchboards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to telephone-switchhoards, and particularly to the construction of lamp-jacks and lamp signal devices to be employed therein.

The object rof my invention is to provide a lamp-jack and a line-signal of the lamp type, in which the lamp is removably incased-,in a guard or envelop which in turn is removably mounted Ain the lamp-jack and is adapted to be supported at its rear end by the board-ter-4 minals Vofthe Vassociated subscribers line, which when the parts are assembled are in electrical connection with the lamp-terminals.

The invention comprises certain organizations and arrangements of parts, which will be described in the specicaton and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illus-A trate my invention, Figure l is a broken top view ofarange or strip of line-signals embodying my inventiomf-one of theguards being shown as partly removed therefrom. Fig.

2 is a sectional view takenon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the guards or envelops for the lamp-signals. Fig. 4 is a side view of one of the signallamps employed. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the guard of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the lamp of Fig. Li.

The front rail of the frame of each range or strip of lamp-jacks consists of a strip A of suitable insulating material and a metallic strip B, provided with means at 'each end for attachingthe same-to the framework of the switchboard.,` The strip B is preferably bentnear its ends, as shown in Figfl, ,andis provided-at its extremities with half-round grooves or-sockets (not shown) to receive a suitable attaching means whereby to secure the same in place on the switchboard structure. The several strips comprising the front rails of the lamp-jack frames are provided with suitable sockets-toreceive the guards 5o or envelope, as hereinafter described. I

The rear rail C of the frame of each range or strip of lamp-jacks is in the'form of a suitable rectangular block of insulating material provided with transverse channelsor grooves, preferably in the form of saw-kerfs, iuits upper face to receive the line-terminais, as hereinafter described. The front and rear rails are united at suitable intervals by connecting rods or braces d. The 6o line-terminals Z Z' are secured near their rear ends in the kerfs ot' the rear rail C and are heldtherein against lengthwise movement vby means of the usual ears or lugs, formed 'by reducing the stripsin width Where they 65 enter the grooves and which engage the edges of the -rear rail.` The terminal strips are retained in the `kerfs.l by'- a suitable retaining- ,strand` slightly towardV eachjother, as shown at the right of Figsf Vl and?, each being provided With a lug Z2 at or near its inner end.

A tubular envelop orguard G, otanyibrous 8o or other insulating material, is adapted to removably nt within each of the sockets of the front rail and is provided at its front end with a glass disk or leus g, permitting the raysof a lamp to shine therethrough, making a distinct signal. Each lens or disk is preferably provided With a retaining-ring g', which is removably secured Within-the front end of its guard by means of integral resilient clips or tongues g2, which have'f-rictional 9o bearing on the inner walls of 'the guards. Each of the guards xis preferablyslotted at opposite points near its rear, as at g3, and the slots are preferably provided with iiaring mouths, as at g4, to receive and guide the lugs Z2 of the line-terminals to place in the slots, whereby the rear ends of the guards are-supported. The guards are preferably in length approximately the distance between the front edge of the rails, whereby they fit within the frame, as shown in Fig. l, with the bulbs or disks g projecting in front of the rail A.

The source of light employed in eiecting the illumination of the disks or lenses is an electric incandescent lamp, and provision is made to accomplish this result by means of individual lamps associated with their respective disks. For this purpose each guard G receives at its rear a suitable lamp L, in which the filament is in electrical connection with a pair of metallic terminals Z3 and Z4, respectively, and clearly shown in Fig. 6. These terminals are secured at their rear ends to a Wooden block Z5 and firmly retain the lamp-bulb between their forward ends, whereby each lamp and its associated terminals comprise a unitary structure that is bodily removable and replaceable Within the guard.

When the lamps L are inserted in the guards, they are so positioned as to expose their terminals through the slots, whereby when a guard and its associated lamp are iantroduced into their jack the lamp-terminals Z3 and Z4 will be in electrical connection with the line-terminals, asV clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the lamps and guards are assembled in the frame, each lamp is included in its associated line-circuit by reason of the contact of the lamp-terminals and line-terminals and is caused to glow when a call is made over its associated line, it being of course understood thata suitable source of electricity is provided for the line-circuit. The lighting of each lamp will cause its associated disk g to become illuminated, making an individual signal to indicate a call over the associated subscriber-s line. Each guard or envelop provides for the proper insulation of its associated parts and prevents a diffusion of the light from its associated lamp, so that only its own disk is illuminated.

The removability of each guard and its associated lam-p enables any one of the line-signals to be readily removed and replaced, and the electrical connections between the subscribers lines and those of the signal devices are made or broken by said acts of attachment or detachment. The removability of each lamp from its guard enables an unskilled operator to readily remove and accurately substitu te lamps in case one or more of the lamps becomes deranged or broken. Also the disks g are easily replaceable in the same manner.

It is understood that I employ the word lamp7 in the claims as meaning an incandescent electric lamp or bulb in which the ends of the filament are in electrical extension of lamp-terminals which are exposed in such position as to contact with the line-terminals when the lamp is mounted in the frame or base.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A lamp-signal for telephone apparatus, consisting of a lamp having terminals, and an individual guard having a disk at its front end, said guard adapted to receive the lamp and to concentrate the light of its associated lamp upon its own disk.

2. In a telephone-switchboard, a line-signal consisting of a lamp having terminals, an insulating-guard to receive the lamp, a disk having a collar provided with tongues to engage the guard, the guard being oppositely slotted near its rear end to expose the lamp-terminals.

3. In a telephone-switchboard, the combination with line-terminals, of a line-signal consisting of a fibrous individual guard having slots near its rear end, a lamp in the guard having terminals at the slots to electrically engage the line-terminals.

4. In a telephone-switchboard, the combination With line-terminals, of a line-signal consisting of a lamphaving terminals, an individual guard of fibrous material to receive the lamp and having-a disk at its front and slots near its rear end with which the line-terminals engage.

5. In a telephone-switchboard, the combination with a front rail having sockets, and a rear rail having line-terminals, of a line-sig- Y nal, comprising a guard having a disk and removably fitting a socket of the front rail, a lamp removably mounted in the guard and having terminals, the guard being slotted at the terminals whereby the line and lamp terminals are in electrical connection when the parts are assembled.

In a telephone-switchboard, the combination with a socketed front rail, and a rear rail having line-terminals provided with inwardly-facing lugs, of a line-signal comprising a tubular guard of brous material having a disk and adapted to tit a socket in the front rail and having opposite slots to receive the lugs, and a lamp removably mounted in the guard and having terminals at the slots to electrically connect with the lugs.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. MCCORMICK.

Witnesses:

HENRY SHAFER, J. M CROBERTS.

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